The Neshoba County Fair, "Mississippi's Giant Houseparty," runs through Friday in Philadelphia, with the traditional stump speaking by state politicians set for Wednesday and Thursday.

The fair, in its 125th year, began as an agricultural and church-camp meeting. By the late 1890s, cabins began to replace tents and wagons. Today, there are more than 600 cabins, with families gathering every summer for fellowship, food and fun, including a fair midway with concessions and rides, live entertainment, carriage horse races and livestock shows.

The political stump speaking at the fair dates to Gov. Anselm Joseph McLaurin in 1896, and the fair has since provided a political forum for state and national politicians, including President Ronald Reagan and candidates Jack Kemp and John Glenn.